Disqualified lawmaker Yau Wai-ching has reportedly said she will not repay backdated wages and expenses, as demanded by the legislature.
Fellow disqualified Youngspiration legislator Baggio Leung has said that he currently sees no legal basis for repaying the amount – totalling around HK$930,000 each – but is willing to return materials his team purchased.
According to a letter from the Legislative Council Secretariat obtained by Ming Pao, a “final notice” had been issued to Yau demanding repayment of wages and operating expenses. The deadline for returning the amount is September 12. Leung has also received such a letter, RTHK reported.
The letter noted that the Court of Final Appeal made an ultimate decision on the case on August 25, when it refused to grant permission for the duo to proceed with the application.
“Should the Legislative Council Commission fail to receive your payment by the stipulated deadline, it will begin taking relevant legal action,” it said.
Yau and Leung had sought to overturn the court decision that unseated them from the legislature, after they were deemed to have not taken their oaths of office properly.
During the swearing in ceremony, they displayed a “Hong Kong is not China” flag and changed the wording of their oaths in a way some deemed insulting to Chinese people. The case triggered a controversial interpretation of the Basic Law by Beijing.
HKFP has reached out to Yau Wai-ching for comment.
